THE EDGE: For all the drama in the first two Tests it’s now crunch time for England who are 2-0 down. The Edge previews the 3rd Test at Headingley with a recommended BETDAQ bet.
MATCH OVERVIEW:
It’s crunch time for England as we move to the 3rd Ashes Test in Headingley 2-0 down. There’s been a tonne of drama so far at the Ashes, and major market swings on BETDAQ Betting Exchange, but overall Australia have been the better side. England have had their moments, and of course they will point to the Bairstow decision on Sunday, but Australia have basically sat back and waited for England to make mistakes. There’s always going to be a huge debate about Bazball, but to me it seems England haven’t quite found the balance needed for a top side like Australia.
The end of the first England innings in the 2nd Test must have been difficult to watch for every England fan. Australia set the field for the short ball, bowled short and England just kept giving their wickets away. Whatever about being positive and England’s approach, the first basic rule of sports is to not do what your opponent wants you do to. Australia wanted them to take on the short ball, and England fell into the trap without thinking. I wouldn’t want them to change much about their Bazball approach, but surely there’s move for improvement there. If it’s obvious – don’t fall for it! There’s being positive and then there’s being reckless with your wicket.
The cricket basics let England down in the 1st Test, and then their attacking nature in the 2nd. If they find a balance they can bounce back, but Australia are in peak form coming into this Test. After the Bairstow decision the crowd will be fully behind England, and it was very interesting to see how fired up England were after the game too. They’ll need that, and they’ll also need to bring their A game to have a chance against a top class Aussie side. For the series, it would be nice for England to win – but Australia are rightfully favourites. Whatever happens, we’re heading for more drama!
WEATHER AND PITCH WATCH:
There has been rain around Leeds lately, so watching the radar is a must here. I wouldn’t be ruling out the draw looking at the forecast – however it is always hard to see a draw given the way England have been playing. Plus Headingley is a result venue. There has only been three draws here since 1994. That’s 22 results and 3 draws in 25 games. The last nine Tests have finished with a result too. The weather looks set fair for the first three days but at the moment the long-range forecast has rain for Sunday and Monday. Obviously that’s a long way away in weather terms, so keeping an eye on that is a must. Rain at the back end of a Test is always a worry because it gives the sides no time to react and be more risky etc looking for a result.
RECOMMENDED BET:
We landed a very confident bet on Australia in the 2nd Test, and after backing them in the 1st Test too I haven’t seen a reason to change my mind. I feel they are good value again here at 2.28. For all the drama around England, Australia have just been ticking their boxes and playing good cricket. They were in control of the 2nd Test for a very large part of the Test, it only looked dodgy when the brilliant Ben Stokes was batting but Australia were well on top in the end. Their key batters didn’t fire in the 1st Test and they were still able to win there too. I just feel like England will have a bad session at some stage, and then that gives Australia the edge. There isn’t much between the sides, but England definitely make more mistakes. I’m happy to reduce stakes because of some small weather worries too, however the 2.28 is still a confident bet.
The Edge Says:
Three points win Australia to beat England at 2.28 with Betdaq Exchange
View the market here -> https://betdaq.biz/EngAus3
IN-RUNNING STRATEGY:
The markets so far at the Ashes have been exceptional for traders, we’ve had some massive market movements! None bigger than when Ben Stokes got going on the final day of the 2nd Test. Headingley will generally favour the bowlers, but obviously it pays to keep an eye on the cloud cover and work with that. Keep things simple – support the bowlers when it’s cloudy and support the batters when it’s sunny. I would definitely keep an eye on the radar too with that rain forecast for later in the Test – that could definitely be a good trading angle on the draw. As I said above, there isn’t much between these sides so conditions will likely be the key factor when trading – and of course if you can see any England moments of madness coming. Surely they can’t fall into the short ball trap again!
